Date: October 1, 2020
Author(s): Brian D. Taylor, Tianxing Dai
Abstract
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommended people to follow social distancing guidelines. To track and evaluate transit operator implementation of social distancing recommendations, UCLA Institute of Transportation Studies (ITS) researchers searched for and reviewed the websites of 200 transit agencies across the U.S. Of the 200 transit agencies investigated, only 92 (46%) publicized their pre-pandemic crowding standards, and only 84 (42%) publicized their pandemic-specific crowding standards. This suggests that a majority of transit operators either have not formally adopted, or do not publicize, these standards. For each transit operator surveyed, we sought to identify and compare the definitions of crowding before and during the pandemic. In general, pre-pandemic definitions of crowding on 35-, 40-, and 60-foot buses are consistent with those recommended in the Transit Capacity and Quality of Service Manual. Amidst the pandemic, the transit agencies surveyed reduced their crowding standard from 69% to 83%, on average, to ensure social distancing among passengers.
About the Project
The global COVID-19 pandemic has shocked many economic and social systems. One of the most profoundly affected has been the public transit systems that serve cities large and small. Ridership […]